Ruler.



PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

F.- N. GILBERT.

RULER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. I .r a H I 11 m MI 5 Il m I M H M 1.

PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

F. N. GILBERT.

RULER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

RULER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed April 21, 1905. Serial No. 256,752.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK N. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rulers, of which th following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rulers, which is available for use as a crossruler or folioer for indorsing papers, folioing legal papers, &c.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of this class which may be used in an oflice for ruling parallel lines onlegal papers and for gaging the folios on papers having type-written lines either full-spaced or halfspaced, and the device will be found useful for many other uses in an oflice.

The invention consists of a metallic casing inclosing an extensible member which maybe of elastic material or composed of cardboard, and these two members are provided with means for carrying out the above objects, as will be described.

The invention further consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described.

Referring to the figures of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device as a whole. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the extensible member which is inclosed in the metallic casing. Fig. 3 is a rear side view of the metallic casing, with the extensible member removed. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device, with the cardboard member in place.

The metallic ruler-casing 1 is preferably formed so as to present a stiff ruling member having its sides 2 2 and bottom 3 turned up at the rear to form grooves for the insertion and retention of the cardboard member 4:.

The casing l is perforated or slotted, as shown at 5 5 5 5 5, and the cardboard member, which is inclosed within the metallic casing, is also slotted with complementary slots, as 5 5 5 5 5. It will be observed that the slots in the cardboard are Wider than those of the metallic casing, thus leaving edges of the slots 5 of the metallic casing to project over and beyond or overlap the edges of the slots 5. Hence in drawing a line the pen is guided by the edge of the metallic slot and the ruler is placed on the paper to be ruled upon with the cardboard next the paper, thus elevating the metallic drawing edge from the paper to be ruled and leaving a space under each lower edge of the slot in the ruler-casing to prevent blotting with the ink from the drawing-pen.

At the right-hand side of the metallic casing I provide a row of perforations extending the entire length of the ruler-casing, as indicated at 6 and 7. These spaces are equidistant from each other and are so arranged as to register with the usual distance between lines of type written matter. As indicated in Fig. 1, the spaces or slots 6 have the word Folio printed on the cardboard within the slot, and the spaces or slots 7 have the figures 1; inclosed within them, to mark the distance between the lines. Thus the Folio marks a distance equal to ten full-spaced type-written lines of matter, and the designates a space equal to a distance occupied by ten half-spaced lines of type-written matter. The metallic casing may also be provided at its front with slots or openings, as 8 and 9, the former being for directions for use of the device and the latter for advertising display matter.

The member 4 may be composed of thick cardboard, pasteboard, celluloid, metal, or other material and, as before described, is inserted in and held between the turned-over edges of the metallic casing. The strip of cardboard is of nearly the same width as the metal casing and is adapted to slip in and be held firmly by the turned-over edges of the metallic casing. The cardboard strip may be extended from its metallic casing and be used as a ruler, if desired.

\Vhen it is desired to indorse a folded paper or document, the ruler is placed with the cardboard side down on the paper to be ruled in position as shown in Fig. 1, with the perforatecl or slotted end of the ruler at the top, but slightly below the edge, of the paper. The written matter to be underscored or lined will appear through the slots 5 and 5 of the ruler, and a line may be drawn with the top of the ruler as a guide, and then successively lines may be drawn at the lower edge of each slot 5, the pasteboard filler holding the drawing edge of the slots above the paper to be ruled, and thus avoiding blotting. If it is desired to underscore more lines on the same page, move the ruler down a space and rule along the top and edges of slots, as before, thus making two sets of exactly parallel lines or cross-rulings on the folded paper. It will be observed that the slots 5 5 5 above the center of the ruler are longer than slots 5 5 midway thereof, thus providing a long or shorter line, as desired. If it is desired to indorse lines upon a sheet of paper, place the ruler in contact on the paper with the slots at the point where the lines are to be drawn and rule the lines as before-either a set of single lines or a set of parallel lines, as desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Aruler composed of a casing formed with slots of various lengths and having grooved edges,a slotted filler-piece held in said grooves, the edges of the slots-in the casing projecting beyond the edges of the slots in the filler-piece, and markings on the ruler for gaging the distance between type written lines, said gagemarks being indicated by the words folio and half-folio.

2. In a ruler the combination with a slotted metallic casing having grooved edges, of a slotted filler-piece therein, said members arranged so that the slots in the casing have their edges projecting over the edges of the slots in the filler-piece, and marks on the ruler to gage the distance estimated to be occupied by one hundred words of type-written matter.

3. In a ruler the combination with a slotted metallic casing having its edges turned over to form grooves of a slotted filler-piece fitted in said casing, the edges of the slots in the casing projecting beyond the edges of the filler-piece slots, marks on the ruler to gage the distance estimated to be occupied by one hundred words of type-written matter, and designations on said ruler indicating a folio and a half-folio.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK GILBERT.

Witnesses:

J. D. HoDsKIN, JOSEPH P. MANGAN. 

